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Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Fit review: smartwatches on the up
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Samsung’s latest iteration of smartwatches comes in three flavours, all of which are a big improvement over the previous generation. But do they do enough to justify a space on your wrist, or supplant a normal watch (or even rival smartwatch)?
For the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit Samsung has – shock! – dumped Google’s Android for its own Tizen open-source software, although you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference.
The Gear 2 is the flagship smartwatch in Samsung’s current lineup, while the Gear 2 Neo lacks a camera, and the Gear Fit is more of a fitness band than a smartwatch per se. Are they capable of bucking a trend that sees one-third of owners ditching their wearables within six months?
The Gear 2 is a refinement of the "unripened fruit" that was the Galaxy Gear smartwatch released last year. It has slimmed down, removed bulky additions from the microphone and camera from the strap and looks much more like a conventional watch.
The subtle changes make quite a bit of difference to the appearance of the smartwatch, and allow it to fit under a shirt cuff much more easily. As a watch, it functions much better than its predecessor, which is important if you’re trying to replace a traditional watch.
Samsung seems to have appreciated that a watch is a piece of jewellery, and that some users will thus want to customise it. The new Gears are available in a range of colours and straps, while the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo have standard watch straps, so users aren’t limited to the colours and types Samsung sells.
A bright, high-resolution 1.63in Super AMOLED screen makes the watch easy to read on the Gear 2, while a responsive touchscreen makes it relatively easy to use. Simple swiping gestures (left or right between the multiple home screens) make navigating between functions and menus pretty intuitive once you realise that a swipe down is akin to the back button on Android.
A single button on the Gear 2 turns the screen on and off, with a double tap launching an app of your choosing. The screen also lights if you lift your wrist to read it.
Source: The Guardian
For the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit Samsung has – shock! – dumped Google’s Android for its own Tizen open-source software, although you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference.
The Gear 2 is the flagship smartwatch in Samsung’s current lineup, while the Gear 2 Neo lacks a camera, and the Gear Fit is more of a fitness band than a smartwatch per se. Are they capable of bucking a trend that sees one-third of owners ditching their wearables within six months?
The Gear 2 is a refinement of the "unripened fruit" that was the Galaxy Gear smartwatch released last year. It has slimmed down, removed bulky additions from the microphone and camera from the strap and looks much more like a conventional watch.
The subtle changes make quite a bit of difference to the appearance of the smartwatch, and allow it to fit under a shirt cuff much more easily. As a watch, it functions much better than its predecessor, which is important if you’re trying to replace a traditional watch.
Samsung seems to have appreciated that a watch is a piece of jewellery, and that some users will thus want to customise it. The new Gears are available in a range of colours and straps, while the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo have standard watch straps, so users aren’t limited to the colours and types Samsung sells.
A bright, high-resolution 1.63in Super AMOLED screen makes the watch easy to read on the Gear 2, while a responsive touchscreen makes it relatively easy to use. Simple swiping gestures (left or right between the multiple home screens) make navigating between functions and menus pretty intuitive once you realise that a swipe down is akin to the back button on Android.
A single button on the Gear 2 turns the screen on and off, with a double tap launching an app of your choosing. The screen also lights if you lift your wrist to read it.
Source: The Guardian
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